From 2000-2010, U.S. drug users spent $100 billion annually on cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine. That’s according to a new report, “What America’s Users Spend on Illegal Drugs: 2000-2010”, from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, conducted by the RAND Drug Policy Research Center. The report also found that while more money was spent on cocaine than marijuana in 2000, the opposite was true in 2010.
“Our analysis shows that Americans likely spent more than $1 trillion on cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamine between 2000 and 2010,” said Beau Kilmer, the study’s lead author and co-director of the RAND Drug Policy Research Center.
Data further show that from 2002-2010, marijuana consumption likely increased by about 40 percent while cocaine consumption decreased by approximately 50 percent. Heroin consumption remained fairly stable from 2000-2010. Methamphetamine consumption dramatically increased during the first half of the decade and then declined, but researchers lacked the information to make a credible estimate of its use from 2008-2010.
“Having credible estimates of the number of heavy drug users and how much they spend is critical for evaluating policies, making decisions about treatment funding and understanding the drug revenues going to criminal organizations,” Kilmer said. “This work synthesizes information from many sources to present the best estimates to date for illicit drug consumption and spending in the United States.”
The estimates for marijuana are rooted in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which surveys nearly 70,000 individuals each year. Estimates for cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine are largely based on information from the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Program (ADAM). The final estimates also incorporated information from other data sources.
However, since the federal government recently halted funding for ADAM, researchers say it will be considerably harder to track the abuse of cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine in the future.
To improve future estimates, the report recommends investments in programs like ADAM that collect detailed data from heavy users. It also recommends that federal agencies revise some of the questions on existing self-report surveys.
Click here to read more about the report.
“Our analysis shows that Americans likely spent more than $1 trillion on cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamine between 2000 and 2010,” said Beau Kilmer, the study’s lead author and co-director of the RAND Drug Policy Research Center.
Data further show that from 2002-2010, marijuana consumption likely increased by about 40 percent while cocaine consumption decreased by approximately 50 percent. Heroin consumption remained fairly stable from 2000-2010. Methamphetamine consumption dramatically increased during the first half of the decade and then declined, but researchers lacked the information to make a credible estimate of its use from 2008-2010.
“Having credible estimates of the number of heavy drug users and how much they spend is critical for evaluating policies, making decisions about treatment funding and understanding the drug revenues going to criminal organizations,” Kilmer said. “This work synthesizes information from many sources to present the best estimates to date for illicit drug consumption and spending in the United States.”
The estimates for marijuana are rooted in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which surveys nearly 70,000 individuals each year. Estimates for cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine are largely based on information from the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Program (ADAM). The final estimates also incorporated information from other data sources.
However, since the federal government recently halted funding for ADAM, researchers say it will be considerably harder to track the abuse of cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine in the future.
To improve future estimates, the report recommends investments in programs like ADAM that collect detailed data from heavy users. It also recommends that federal agencies revise some of the questions on existing self-report surveys.
Click here to read more about the report.
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